Oklahoma State Cowboys football

Oklahoma State Cowboys football
2024 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
First season	1901; 123 years ago
Athletic director	Chad Weiberg
Head coach	Mike Gundy 20th season, 166–79 (.678)
Stadium	Boone Pickens Stadium (capacity: 53,855)
Field surface	FieldTurf
Location	Stillwater, Oklahoma
NCAA division	Division I FBS
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Past conferences	Southwest Conference (1915–1924) Missouri Valley (1925–1956) Big Eight (1960–1995)
All-time record	638–572–48 (.526)
Bowl record	22–12 (.647)
Claimed national titles	1 (1945)
Unclaimed national titles	1 (2011)
Conference titles	11
Rivalries	Oklahoma (rivalry) Tulsa (rivalry)
Heisman winners	Barry Sanders – 1988
Consensus All-Americans	20
Current uniform
Colors	Orange and black[1]
Fight song	Ride 'em Cowboys
Mascot	Pistol Pete
Marching band	Cowboy Marching Band
Website	okstate.com

The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his 20th year as head coach. Oklahoma State plays its home games at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Since the beginning of the program in 1901, Oklahoma State has complied a 638-572-48 record and possess a .526 winning percentage, and the team also boasts a 22-12 bowl game record, which includes 5 victories in New Year's Six bowl games. Oklahoma State claims one national championship in 1945 (awarded by the AFCA), eleven conference championships, and 66 All-Americans with 50 being first-team (20 consensus, 8 unanimous) selections. Running back Barry Sanders won the Heisman Trophy in 1988, and the school has had 8 former players and coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

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The Oklahoma A&M Aggies (also referred to as the Tigers) played their first season of football in 1900 and joined their first conference for the start of the 1915 season, the Southwest Conference. In 1925, the Oklahoma A&M program joined the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. In 1928, the MVIAA split into the Big Six Conference and the Missouri Valley Conference. A&M was the only large school that joined the smaller MVC. Jim Lookabaugh, an OSU alum who lettered in multiple sports, led the Aggies for eleven seasons, which included a 9–0 campaign and a national championship in 1945 which followed an 8–1 season the year before. In October 2016, Oklahoma State was retroactively awarded the 1945 national championship by a committee of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), consisting of former Baylor coach Grant Teaff, Georgia's Vince Dooley, and Texas A&M's R.C. Slocum.^[2] Lookabaugh stepped down after the 1949 season, finishing his tenure with a mark of 58–41–6.^[3] From 1950 to 1954, Jennings B. Whitworth coached at Oklahoma A&M, and compiled a 22–27–1 record, which included only one winning season, a 7–3 campaign in 1953. Whitworth departed A&M to accept the head coaching position at Alabama following the 1954 season. In 1951, Oklahoma A&M players and coaches caused the Johnny Bright incident, a violent on-field assault against an African American player from Drake University, Johnny Bright; Oklahoma A&M administration would attempt to cover up and deny the incident for over half a century.^[4]

Cliff Speegle took the reins of the Oklahoma A&M Cowboys. Under Speegle's tutelage, the Cowboys compiled a record of 36–42–3, which included three winning seasons from 1957 to 1959.^[5] The losing record, combined with an 0–8 mark against rival Oklahoma, resulted in Speegle's firing following the 1962 season. In 1956, A&M announced it was joining (or rejoining, depending on one's view) what had become the Big Seven for the 1958–59 academic year. As part of a transition period, the Cowboys went independent for two years. On May 15, 1957, Oklahoma A&M changed its name to Oklahoma State University. They officially became a part of the renamed Big Eight Conference in 1958.

Longtime Bear Bryant assistant Phil Cutchin led Oklahoma State to its first win over Oklahoma in 20 years, but failed to bring success to Stillwater, compiling a mark of 19–38–2. Cutchin was replaced by the OSU administration eager to see a winning product on the field.^[6]

Oklahoma State continued to struggle under head coach Floyd Gass, an OSU alum, who led the Cowboy football program for three seasons. During his tenure, he led the team to three straight losing seasons. Fan and administration support became increasingly hard to come by as the on-field production slipped. Despite the lack of football success, Gass would serve in multiple capacities at OSU, including athletics director for several years after his resignation as football coach.^[7]

The Cowboys were finally able to enjoy a winning season —their first in nine years—in 1974 under the leadership of head coach Dave Smith. However, Smith wouldn't stick around, as he departed for the head coaching position at SMU after just one season in Stillwater.^[8]

Jim Stanley, a two-time defensive coordinator at OSU, returned to Stillwater to become the head coach of the Cowboys in 1973. He coached them from 1973 to 1978, amassing a career record of 35–31–2. Stanley's Cowboys earned a Fiesta Bowl victory in 1974 and his 1976 team ended the season 9–3 finishing as a Big Eight co-champions on their way to a Tangerine Bowl victory.^[9] His success at Oklahoma State earned him many accolades, including being invited to coach three collegiate all-star games: the 1973 East–West Shrine Game, the 1977 Hula Bowl, and the 1977 Japan Bowl.

In 1978, the Big Eight Conference initiated an investigation into the OSU football program in response to allegations of violations of several NCAA rules and regulations while Stanley was head coach. Stanley successfully filed suit against the conference to require them to provide various due process protections in their final hearing on the charges.

In 1979, Jimmy Johnson got the head coaching job at Oklahoma State. Johnson's successful rebuilding of the inconsistent Cowboys football program is a hallmark in the long history of Cowboy football. In his final season, he led the Cowboys to an 8–4 record and a 24–14 victory over 20th-ranked Baylor in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl. The season included a season opening romp over then No. 12 ranked Arizona State in Tempe, and a Bedlam matchup between the No. 2 ranked Oklahoma Sooners and the No. 3-ranked Cowboys on November 24, 1984. A game in which the Cowboys ultimately lost, 24–14.^[10]

In 1984, when he was offered the head coaching job at Miami, Jimmy Johnson was unsure if he wanted to leave Stillwater. His good friend Larry Lacewell told Johnson that if he wanted to win a national championship and eventually coach in the NFL he had to take the Miami job. Johnson soon after accepted the head coaching job at Miami.^[11] Jimmy Johnson left OSU with an overall record of 29–25–3.^[12]

Pat Jones was promoted from assistant coach to head coach following Johnson's departure. He served as head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 1984 to 1994 after five years as an assistant under Jimmy Johnson. During his 11 years at Oklahoma State, he compiled a 62–60–3 record, including a 3–1 bowl game record. Jones was named Big Eight Coach of the Year in both 1984 and 1992. From 1984 to 1988, Jones led the Cowboys to the most successful period in school history at the time. With a talented roster that included running backs Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas, wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes and quarterback Mike Gundy, they went 44–15 over this five-year stretch, including the school's first three-year stretch of ten-win seasons.

Running back Barry Sanders played for the Cowboys from 1986 to 1988. During his first two seasons at Oklahoma State, he backed up All-American Thurman Thomas. In 1987, Sanders led the nation in yards per kickoff return (31.6), while also rushing for over 600 yards and scoring 8 touchdowns. Thomas moved on to the NFL, and Sanders became the starter for his junior year.

In 1988, in what has been called the greatest individual season in college football history,^[13] Sanders led the nation by averaging 7.6 yards per carry and over 200 yards per game, including rushing for over 300 yards in four games. Despite his massive workload of 344 carries, Sanders was still used as the team's punt and kickoff returner, adding another 516 yards on special teams. He set college football season records with 2,628 yards rushing, 3,248 total yards, 234 points, 39 touchdowns, 37 rushing touchdowns, 5 consecutive 200 yard games, scored at least 2 touchdowns in 11 consecutive games, and 9 times he scored at least 3 touchdowns.^[14] Sanders also ran for 222 yards and scored 5 touchdowns in his three quarters of action in the 1988 Holiday Bowl, a game that is not included in the official NCAA season statistics.^[15] Sanders learned of his Heisman Trophy win while he was with the team in Tokyo, Japan, preparing to face Texas Tech in the Coca-Cola Classic.^[16] He chose to leave Oklahoma State before his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Days after the 1988 season, Oklahoma State and the NCAA released the results of an unusual joint investigation into the football program. The investigation revealed several major violations dating prior to Johnson's tenure, principally involvement in a "bidding war" for Dykes out of high school. The Cowboys were banned from bowl games for three years and from live television for two years, and they were also limited to 20 scholarships from 1989 to 1992. Jones was not directly implicated in any wrongdoing; indeed, the investigation found that no violations had taken place in two years. He was unable to put together another winning team due to the sanctions, and left OSU after the 1994 season. In Jones' last six years, the Cowboys won only seven games in Big Eight play, including three seasons of winless conference records. Oklahoma State would need almost the entire decade of the 1990s to recover; with only one winning season coming between 1989 and 2001.

Bob Simmons came to OSU from his post as defensive line coach at Colorado to replace Jones. Simmons' teams were largely unsuccessful, and Simmons resigned under pressure following the 2000 season. His final record in Stillwater was 30–38 with just one winning campaign, an 8–4 season in 1997 that culminated in a loss in the Alamo Bowl.^[17] In 1996, OSU joined with the other Big Eight schools and four schools from the old Southwest Conference to form the Big 12 Conference.

After Simmons' resignation, a coaching search produced Dirk Koetter as the new head coach. Hours after accepting the job, Koetter reneged on his offer in order to coach at Arizona State.^[18]

The next two candidates were Les Miles, a former OSU offensive coordinator, and Mike Gundy, a former OSU player and coach. Miles was hired as head coach while Gundy was brought on as offensive coordinator. In his first year as head coach, Miles would achieve a 4–7 record. In the 2001 regular season finale, the underdog Cowboys would defeat the reigning national champion Oklahoma Sooners in Norman 16–13. In 2002, Miles would post a 7–5 regular season record. The Cowboys again defeated the Oklahoma Sooners, this time in Stillwater. The team would go on to three straight bowl games in Miles's last three years as head coach ('02,'03,'04). Miles left after the 2004 season to take the head coaching position at LSU.^[19]

Mike Gundy was promoted from offensive coordinator and named immediately as Miles' successor and the 22nd head coach at Oklahoma State.^[20] Gundy is one of three head football coaches at Oklahoma State to have played for Oklahoma State, along with Jim Lookabaugh and Floyd Gass. His first season saw the expulsion of 11 players from the team and the Cowboys struggled to a 4–7 record winning only one Big 12 conference game. In his second season, the Cowboy offense began to click and the Cowboys would finish 7–6 including a victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Independence Bowl. In 2007, the Cowboys again posted a 6–6 regular season record and a bowl win over the Indiana Hoosiers in the Insight Bowl. After their second straight bowl appearance, Gundy was rewarded with a contract extension through the 2013 season.

After posting a 9–3 regular season record in 2008, Coach Gundy received a new seven-year contract worth $15.7 million.^[21][22] The contract, which extends through the 2015 season, was taken into effect on January 1, 2009.^[23] Gundy's tenure as head coach of the Cowboys has seen the rise and expansion of not only his football program, but the football facilities as well. The Cowboys began the 2009 season ranked No. 9 in the country in the AP Top 25, but the dreams of a miracle season were crushed when the Pokes lost 45–35 to the unranked Houston Cougars at home the following week, and later finding out that star wide receiver Dez Bryant was ruled ineligible for the remainder of the season, for lying to the NCAA about having contact with 8-time pro bowler Deion Sanders, which wasn't an NCAA violation in the first place. The following year, Oklahoma State hired offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen from the University of Houston. In 2010 coach Gundy recorded the first ever 11-win season in Oklahoma State history. What was supposed to be a rebuilding year turned into the best in school history.^[24]

Under Gundy there have been a series of NFL quality wide receivers to come through Boone Pickens Stadium. These include Adarius Bowman, Dez Bryant, Justin Blackmon, James Washington, and Tylan Wallace. On December 3, 2011, the Cowboys won their first Big 12 Championship in school history with a 44–10 victory over rival Oklahoma in the Bedlam Series. The nationally third-ranked Cowboys eventually went on to win the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl by beating fourth-ranked Stanford in overtime, 41–38, on January 2, 2012. Early in the 2012 season, he notched his 63rd win as head coach, passing Jones as the winningest coach in school history. On October 29, 2016, Mike Gundy recorded his 100th victory as a head coach with a 37–20 win over # 10 West Virginia. In the process, notching his sixth victory over a top 10 ranked school. Gundy is the only Oklahoma State football coach to record 100 victories, and only the 6th coach to reach such a milestone with his current school.^[25] Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma in Bedlam on November 27, 2021, to reach 5th place in the AP poll coming into championship weekend where they were defeated by Baylor, 21–16, in the Big 12 Championship.

• Independent (1901–1914, 1957–1959)
• Southwest Conference (1915–1924)
• Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1925–1927)
• Missouri Valley Conference (1926–1956)
• Big Eight Conference (1960–1995)
• Big 12 Conference (1996–present)

The 1945 Oklahoma A&M football team was retroactively awarded the AFCA national championship and The Coaches' Trophy^[26] by the American Football Coaches Association (who conduct the Coaches Poll) in October 2016 on the recommendation of their Blue Ribbon Commission. The Cowboys went 9–0 and capped off the undefeated championship season with a 33–13 win over Saint Mary's in the Sugar Bowl. To date, it is the only undefeated season in Oklahoma State football history.^{[27][28][29][30]} Additionally, Oklahoma State was selected by NCAA-designated major selector Colley Matrix in 2011.^[31]

Season	Coach	Selector(s)	Record	Bowl	Opponent	Result	Final AP	Final Coaches'
1945	Jim Lookabaugh	AFCA	9–0	Sugar Bowl	Saint Mary's	W 33–13	No. 5	–

The Cowboys have won eleven conference championships, six outright and five shared.

Season	Coach	Conference	Overall Record	Conference Record
1926	John Maulbetsch	Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association	3–4–1	3–0–1
1930 †	Lynn O. Waldorf	Missouri Valley Conference	7–2–1	2–0
1931 †			8–2–1	1–0
1932			9–1–2	3–0
1933 †			6–2–1	2–0
1944	Jim Lookabaugh		8–1	1–0
1945			9–0	1–0
1948			6–4	2–0
1953 †	J.B. Whitworth		7–3	3–1
1976 †	Jim Stanley	Big Eight Conference	9–3	5–2
2011	Mike Gundy	Big 12 Conference	12–1	8–1
† Co-champions

The Cowboys have won one division championship.^[32]

Season	Coach	Division	Overall Record	Conference Record	Opponent	CG result
2010†	Mike Gundy	Big 12 South	11–2	6–2	N/A lost tie-breaker to Oklahoma
† Co-champions

The Cowboys have had 23 head coaches in their history.^[33] The current head coach, Mike Gundy, was hired on January 3, 2005.^[20] For the first four seasons the team played without an official head coach. The team's first head coach, F. A. McCoy, was hired in 1905 and coached for a single season.^[33] Gundy is the all-time leader in games coached (245), wins (166) and years coached (19), while Pappy Waldorf is the all-time leader in winning percentage (.735). The coach with lowest winning percentage is Ted Cox (.233).^[33] Eight coaches have led the Cowboys to postseason bowl games: Jim Lookabaugh, Cliff Speegle, Jim Stanley, Jimmy Johnson, Pat Jones, Bob Simmons, Les Miles and Mike Gundy. Six coaches have won conference championships with the Cowboys: John Maulbetsch, Lynn Waldorf, Lookabaugh, Jennings B. Whitworth, Stanley, and Gundy.^[34] One coach, Lookabaugh, retroactively won a national championship with the Cowboys.^[30] Four head coaches, Maulbetsch, Waldorf, Exendine, and Johnson have been inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame.^[35]

Name	Position	Consecutive season at Oklahoma State in current position	Previous position
Kasey Dunn	Associate Head Coach / Offensive coordinator / Receivers	5th	Oklahoma State - Associate head coach / wide receivers coach (2019).
Bryan Nardo	Defensive coordinator	2nd	Gannon – Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers (2022)
Joe Bob Clements	Co–Defensive coordinator / Linebackers	12th	Oklahoma State – Defensive line / Linebackers (2022)
Charlie Dickey	Offensive Line	6th	Kansas – Co-Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line (2018)
Dan Hammerschmidt	Safeties	10th	Houston – Running Backs (2014)
Jason McEndoo	Tight Ends / Fullbacks	10th	Oklahoma State – Cowboys backs (2015–2022)
Paul Randolph	Defensive line	1st	Indiana – Defensive Line (2022–2023)
Tim Rattay	Quarterbacks	5th	Washington Commanders – Quarterbacks (2019)
Sean Snyder	Punters and Kickers	1st	Kansas – Special Assistant to the Head Coach (2023)
John Wozniak	Running Backs	8th	Southern Miss - Wide Receivers / Special Teams (2013–2016)
Rob Glass	Strength & Conditioning	20th	Florida – Director of Strength and Conditioning (1998–2004)
Reference:[36]

Since the establishment of the team in 1901, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have appeared in 34 bowl games and have a record of 22 victories and 12 losses.^[37] The team's first bowl game appearance was in the 1945 Cotton Bowl Classic, which was a 34–0 victory over TCU. The most recent bowl game appearance by the Cowboys was in the 2023 Texas Bowl, which was a 31–23 victory over Texas A&M. They are 5–4 in the New Year's Six bowl games (Rose, Peach, Cotton Bowl Classic, Sugar, Fiesta and Orange), with their biggest win being over Stanford in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl, with the win making them finish 3rd in the final AP and Coaches poll, the highest ever finish for a Cowboy team.^{[citation needed]}

No.	Bowl	Score[a]	Date	Season	Opponent	Stadium	Location	Attendance	Head coach
1	Cotton Bowl Classic	W 34–0	January 1, 1945	1944	TCU	Cotton Bowl	Dallas, Texas	37,500[38]	Jim Lookabaugh
2	Sugar Bowl	W 33–13	January 6, 1946	1945	St. Mary's	Tulane Stadium	New Orleans, Louisiana	68,822[39]	Jim Lookabaugh
3	Delta Bowl	L 0–20	January 1, 1949	1948	William & Mary	Crump Stadium	Memphis, Tennessee	15,069[40]	Jim Lookabaugh
4	Bluegrass Bowl	W 15–6	December 13, 1958	1958	Florida State	Cardinal Stadium	Louisville, Kentucky	3,152[41]	Cliff Speegle
5	Fiesta Bowl	W 16–6	December 28, 1974	1974	BYU	Sun Devil Stadium	Tempe, Arizona	50,878[42]	Jim Stanley
6	Tangerine Bowl	W 49–21	December 18, 1976	1976	BYU	Tangerine Bowl	Orlando, Florida	37,812[43]	Jim Stanley
7	Independence Bowl	L 16–33	December 12, 1981	1981	Texas A&M	Independence Bowl	Shreveport, Louisiana	48,600[44]	Jimmy Johnson
8	Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl	W 24–14	December 31, 1983	1983	Baylor	Astrodome	Houston, Texas	50,090[45]	Jimmy Johnson
9	Gator Bowl	W 21–14	December 28, 1984	1984	South Carolina	Gator Bowl Stadium	Jacksonville, Florida	82,138[46]	Pat Jones
10	Gator Bowl	L 23–34	December 30, 1985	1985	Florida State	Gator Bowl Stadium	Jacksonville, Florida	79,417[47]	Pat Jones
11	Sun Bowl	W 35–33	December 25, 1987	1987	West Virginia	Sun Bowl	El Paso, Texas	43,240[48]	Pat Jones
12	Holiday	W 62–14	December 30, 1988	1988	Wyoming	Jack Murphy Stadium	San Diego, California	60,641[49]	Pat Jones
13	Alamo Bowl	L 20–33	December 30, 1997	1997	Purdue	Alamodome	San Antonio, Texas	55,552[50]	Pat Simmons
14	Houston Bowl	W 33–23	December 27, 2002	2002	Southern Miss	Reliant Stadium	Houston, Texas	44,687[51]	Les Miles
15	Cotton Bowl Classic	L 28–31	January 2, 2004	2003	Ole Miss	Cotton Bowl	Dallas, Texas	73,928[52]	Les Miles
16	Alamo Bowl	L 7–33	December 29, 2004	2004	Ohio State	Alamodome	San Antonio, Texas	65,265[53]	Les Miles
17	Independence Bowl	W 34–31	December 28, 2006	2006	Alabama	Independence Stadium	Shreveport, Louisiana	45,054[54]	Mike Gundy
18	Insight Bowl	W 49–33	December 31, 2007	2007	Indiana	Sun Devil Stadium	Tempe, Arizona	48,892[55]	Mike Gundy
19	Holiday Bowl	L 31–42	December 30, 2008	2008	Oregon	Qualcomm Stadium	San Diego, California	59,106[56]	Mike Gundy
20	Cotton Bowl Classic	L 7–21	January 2, 2010	2009	Ole Miss	Cowboys Stadium	Arlington, Texas	77,928[57]	Mike Gundy
21	Alamo Bowl	W 36–10	December 29, 2010	2010	Arizona	Alamodome	San Antonio, Texas	57,593[58]	Mike Gundy
22	Fiesta Bowl	W 41–38OT	January 2, 2012	2011	Stanford	University of Phoenix Stadium	Glendale, Arizona	69,927[59]	Mike Gundy
23	Heart Of Dallas Bowl	W 58–14	January 1, 2013	2012	Purdue	Cotton Bowl	Dallas, Texas	48,313 [60]	Mike Gundy
24	Cotton Bowl Classic	L 31–41	January 3, 2014	2013	Missouri	AT&T Stadium	Arlington, Texas	72,690[61]	Mike Gundy
25	Cactus Bowl	W 30–22	January 2, 2015	2014	Washington	Sun Devil Stadium	Tempe, Arizona	35,409[62]	Mike Gundy
26	Sugar Bowl	L 20–48	January 1, 2016	2015	Ole Miss	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	New Orleans, Louisiana	72,117[63]	Mike Gundy
27	Alamo Bowl	W 38–8	December 29, 2016	2016	Colorado	Alamodome	San Antonio, Texas	59,815 [64]	Mike Gundy
28	Camping World Bowl	W 30–21	December 28, 2017	2017	Virginia Tech	Camping World Stadium	Orlando, Florida	39,610[65]	Mike Gundy
29	Liberty Bowl	W 38–33	December 31, 2018	2018	Missouri	Liberty Bowl	Memphis, Tennessee	51,587[66]	Mike Gundy
30	Texas Bowl	L 21–24	December 27, 2019	2019	Texas A&M	NRG Stadium	Houston, Texas	68,415[67]	Mike Gundy
31	Cheez-It Bowl	W 37–34	December 29, 2020	2020	Miami	Camping World Stadium	Orlando, Florida	0[b]	Mike Gundy
32	Fiesta Bowl	W 37–35	January 1, 2022	2021	Notre Dame	State Farm Stadium	Glendale, Arizona	49,550[69]	Mike Gundy
33	Guaranteed Rate Bowl	L 17–24	December 27, 2022	2022	Wisconsin	Chase Field	Phoenix, Arizona	23,187[70]	Mike Gundy
34	Texas Bowl	W 31–23	December 27, 2023	2023	Texas A&M	NRG Stadium	Houston, Texas	56,212[71]	Mike Gundy

The first Bedlam game was held at Island Park in Guthrie, Oklahoma. It was a cold, and very windy day with the temperatures well below the freezing mark. At one moment in the game when the Oklahoma A&M Aggies were punting, the wind carried the ball backwards behind the kicker. If the Oklahoma A&M squad recovered the ball it would be a touchback and if the University of Oklahoma squad recovered it, it would be a touchdown. The ball kept going backwards and rolled down a hill into the half-frozen creek. Since a touchdown was at stake, members of both teams dove into the icy waters to recover the ball. A member of the OU team came out with the ball and downed it for a touchdown, eventually winning the game 75–0.[2] Thus was the beginning of Bedlam.

Author Steve Budin, whose father was a New York bookie, has recently publicized the claim that the 1954 "Bedlam" game against rival OU was fixed by mobsters in his book Bets, Drugs, and Rock & Roll (ISBN 1-60239-099-1).^[72] Allegedly, the mobsters threatened and paid off a cook to slip laxatives into a soup eaten by many OU Sooner starting players, causing them to fall violently ill in the days leading up to the game. OU was victorious in the end, but their 14–0 win did not cover the 20-point spread they had in their favor. However, many people involved in the 1954 contest do not recall any incident like the one purported by Budin to have occurred.^[73]

The Cowboys also have a rivalry with Tulsa. Oklahoma State leads Tulsa in the all-time series 44–27–5, winning the most recent matchup in 2024, 45–10. Since 1990, Oklahoma State is 15–3 versus Tulsa with the Cowboys scoring at least 28 points in nine of the last ten contests. The Cowboys have a twenty-three game home winning streak against Tulsa. The last time Tulsa won in Stillwater was 1951.^[74]

Oklahoma State plays in Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The original football field was inaugurated in 1913, and the first stand was built in 1920. At that time the field was repositioned from a north–south to an east–west configuration to avoid the strong prevailing winds of Northern Oklahoma. From 1914 until 2004, the stadium was named Lewis Field, named after popular professor and dean Laymon Lowery Lewis. Even though a stadium would not be built for six years after the field's inception, the students felt obliged to name their alma mater's field after their beloved "Dr. Lew".^[75]

By 1930 the capacity had risen to 13,000 and increased again in 1947. Major additions, including the first press box, brought the capacity to 30,000. In 1950 again seats were added and the total capacity increased to 39,000. The next renovations came in 1972 and for the next three decades the capacity hovered around 50,000.

In 2003, alumnus T. Boone Pickens made a historic donation to the university for improvements to its athletic facilities, and it was announced that the stadium would be renamed in his honor. The announcement of the renovation came after two consecutive victories over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Bedlam Series. To this day, Boone Pickens Stadium is one of a very few major college football stadiums with an east–west configuration. The latest renovation of the football stadium was completed in 2009, with the capacity at 60,218. In 2017, Oklahoma State renumbered and expanded the current seats, leaving the new capacity at 56,790 in an effort to increase seat width and improve the fan experience. In 2018, Oklahoma State installed a 6,160 square foot video board on the façade of Gallagher-Iba Arena in the stadium's east end zone. The jumbotron will be one of the ten largest in the country, placing it ahead of USC's jumbotron at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

In 2007, plans to build the Sherman E. Smith Training Center were unveiled. The 92,000 square foot indoor practice facility was completed in 2013.^[76]

It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled Oklahoma State Cowboys football whatever. (Discuss) (August 2018)

On September 10, 2013, Sports Illustrated published the first of 5 stories alleging misconduct during Les Miles tenure and extending into the Mike Gundy era. Writers Thayer Evans and George Dohrmann reportedly engaged in a 10-month-long investigation into wrongdoing throughout the early-mid 2000s of the Oklahoma State football program. The first installment "The Money" made allegations of illicit gifts, overzealous boosters, no-show jobs, and a bounty system in place.^[77] The second installment, "The Academics" alleged academic fraud, steering athletes into easy pass or no-show classes, and grade tampering. The third installment, "The Drugs" painted a picture of a drug culture, in which the players were selling drugs, and the school did little to curtail drug usage. The fourth installment, "The Sex" was heavily edited by all accounts, considering its late online release time. This installment revealed a hostess program where the head coaches oversaw the application process, and writers implied the hostesses were expected to have sex with recruits. The final installment "The Fallout" told the tale of Artrell Woods, who had left school after a horrific accident from which he had recovered.

While at first shocking to fans and media, Oklahoma State immediately pledged transparency. Athletic Director Mike Holder held a press conference the day before the release and apologized for the bad publicity, and promised to investigate the claims. OSU then hired independent investigator, Charles Smrt to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations. ESPN later debunked several of the claims in the story by simply calling OSU's registrar and obtaining a transcript from Tatum Bell that proved he was not in school during stated timelines. Further controversy began to surround the Sports Illustrated article when Jason Whitlock, a former colleague of Evans, claimed that he was a huge fan of the University of Oklahoma.^[78] Dohrmann went on national syndicated radio with Doug Gottlieb and stated that Fath' Carter had two degrees from OSU.^[79] When questioned by ESPN's Brett McMurphy, the registrars' office later stated that Fath' Carter had never graduated.^[80] Brandon Weeden also was able to point to unprofessional behavior from Evans displayed during a press conference.^[81] DeadSpin also found out that many crucial professors and tutors never were interviewed for the story.^[82]

In June 2014, John Talley, a spokesperson for the FCA chapter at Oklahoma State had filed a lawsuit against Dohrmann, Time Inc., and Evans for false-light accusations which painted him as an overzealous booster.^[83] In his lawsuit, Talley is seeking damages of $75,000. In July 2014, OSU confirmed that the NCAA had been investigating the allegations.^[84]

On October 21, 2014, the NCAA and The Compliance Group, an independent investigation firm led by Charles Smrt, jointly released a statement that the allegations contained in the Sports Illustrated story were "fundamentally unfounded". The NCAA and the investigator had pored over 50,000 emails and had unfettered access to all areas of the compliance department and re-interviewed those who were quoted in the story. The report stated "Overall, several interviewees indicated that they reported to SI general information or incidents about college football but that the SI reporter indicated that the incident occurred at OSU." During the joint investigation, however, three lesser allegations – not related to the Sports Illustrated claims, and labeled as Level II violations – were uncovered:

During the period of fall 2007 through the spring of 2013, approximately 1,572 drug tests occurred of football players. There were 94 positives involving approximately 60 student-athletes per the policy. (According to the company used by the University to conduct its drug testing program, this positive rate per total number of tests is slightly less than the national average).

The institution examined the application of the policy in those 94 situations and believes that on four occasions, the applicable penalty per the policy was not applied and reported this information to the Enforcement Staff.^[85]

Also, it was deemed that the Orange Pride spirit program was chartered under the football program, but a recent NCAA policy change in 2007 required spirit clubs to form under the admissions department. Because of these two minor violations, OSU was cited for a failure to monitor in these two instances. The total cost for the independent investigation amounted to $221,055.18.^[86]

On January 22, 2015, Burns Hargis and other OSU officials visited the NCAA offices in Indianapolis to appeal to the NCAA. Even as Level II allegations, OSU officials considered them harsh and sought to have them reduced further. Hargis stated OSU's intent on having those Level II allegations reconsidered, possibly as Level III.

On April 24, 2015, the NCAA announced the sanctions against Oklahoma State would include an $8,500 fine and one-year probation to avoid further citings. The university self-imposed limits on the number of recruiting visits, off-campus evaluations, and the number of evaluation days in the fall and spring recruiting periods all of which will expire in 2016. The university is also not allowed to use the Orange Pride program to assist with recruiting visits for four years (2019–2020 season).^[87] No scholarships were reduced and no postseason bans were put into place.^[88]

Throughout the 2000s, the Cowboys had four main uniform combinations. For the 2011 football season, it was revealed that Nike had created new uniforms for the Cowboys, offering three different helmet options in either gray, black, or white. New jerseys and pants consisting of black, orange, grey and white also came aboard, allowing for up to 48 different variations. The Cowboys debuted their new gray uniforms for the first game of the 2011 season. In a 2012 home game against Iowa State, the Cowboys debuted the new orange helmets, along with a new Pistol Pete decal. This would bring the different uniform combinations up to 64.^[89]

The uniform combinations are chosen before the season by a committee of players and the Cowboys equipment manager, Wes Edwards. A few patterns have evolved since the origination of the multiple uniform era. Thursday night games during 2009, 2010, 2011, and in 2014 have involved black uniforms. Another trend has the Cowboys reverting to the traditional White Helmet/Traditional Brand Logo/Orange Jersey/White Pants for the home opener in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Bowl games for the 2012 Fiesta Bowl, the 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl, and the high-profile 2014 season opener in the Cowboys Classic featured Oklahoma State wearing all black.

During the 2012 season, fans saw the addition of the orange helmet, and the addition of new decals. For the first time since 1979, the Cowboys took the field in "All Orange" against Iowa State for Homecoming. Also during the 2012 season, new carbon fiber gray helmets replaced the matte gray that had been used in 2011. The Cowboys helmet logos include a Pistol Pete logo, as well as what fans refer to as "Phantom Pete". The "OSU" Branded logo was now featured in different variants, to reflect the helmet being worn. During 2013, OSU began incorporating a stripe down the center of their helmets for different variations. In 2014, OSU revealed two new helmet choices- a "classic Aggie" which paid homage to the bucking Aggie logo used in the 1940s and 1950s when the school was still called Oklahoma A&M Aggies. The other helmet was an Orange-Chrome with an oversized, off-center Pistol Pete. This was worn in a Thursday night victory over Texas Tech.

On May 10, 2023, the official Oklahoma State Football Twitter (or X.com) account released a video post touting new uniforms. A joint Nike, Inc. - Oklahoma State Football media release accompanied the post.^[90] The uniforms combine cutting edge Nike F.U.S.E technology with a 1980s OSU aesthetic. The uniforms use 1980s striping, a variety of logos, and a modern "Wild West" typography developed internally by Oklahoma State in 2019 called Cimarron.^[91] This is the Cowboy's latest uniform update, with the last one being in 2016.

• 
  2011 vs. Kansas State
• 
  Carbon Fiber Helmet
• 
  2012 Oklahoma State Uniform
• 
  2013 Oklahoma State Uniform
• 
  2014 Bucking Aggie Logo
• 
  2014 Orange Chrome Pete

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The student section has a tradition of hitting orange paddles on the sideline and end zone walls at home games. This tradition apparently started in the early 1990s, and has since become an official group within the university. The orange paddles have the word "pokes" in bold letters written on them.

The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding college football player. One Oklahoma State player has won the Heisman Trophy: Barry Sanders. In addition, Terry Miller was runner-up in 1977.^[92]

Year	Player	Position	Points	Notes
1988	Barry Sanders	Running back	1,878	[92]

Walter Camp Award[93] Collegiate football player of the year 1988 Barry Sanders – RB Maxwell Award[94] Best all-around college football player 1988 Barry Sanders – RB Fred Biletnikoff Award[95] Outstanding receiver 2010 Justin Blackmon –WR 2011 Justin Blackmon – WR 2017 James Washington – WR Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[96] Outstanding senior quarterback 2017 Mason Rudolph – QB

Lou Groza Award[97] Top Collegiate placekicker 2010 Dan Bailey – PK Ray Guy Award[98] Top Collegiate Punter 2008 Matt Fodge – P Doak Walker Award[99] Top Running Back 2023 Ollie Gordon II – RB Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award[100] FWAA Coach of the Year 2011 Mike Gundy – HC

The Oklahoma State Football Ring of Honor was started in 2020 to honor distinguished former players. Located atop the west end zone of Boone Pickins Stadium is the names of the inductees and their retired jersey numbers. Five individuals have been inducted as of 2024, Thurman Thomas was the first inductee followed by Barry Sanders, Bob Fenimore, Terry Miller, and Leslie O'Neal.^[101]

Year	No.	Player	Position	Career	Ref.
2020	34	Thurman Thomas	Running back	1984–1987	[102]
2021	21	Barry Sanders	Running back	1986–1988	[103]
2022	55	Bob Fenimore	Halfback	1943–1946	[104]
2023	43	Terry Miller	Running Back	1974–1977	[105]
2024	99	Leslie O'Neal	Defensive end	1982–1985	[106]

Every year, several publications release rosters of the best college football players in the country. The athletes on these lists are referred to as All-Americans. The NCAA recognizes five All-American lists. They are the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. A consensus All-American is typically defined as a player who is named to at least three or more lists, while a unanimous All-American must be named to all five. Oklahoma State has had 66 All-Americans with 50 being first-team (20 Consensus, 8 unanimous) selections.^[107][108]

Oklahoma State has 8 inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame (6 players, 2 coach). The first inductee was coach Pappy Waldorf, who was inducted in 1966. The most recent is Justin Blackmon, who was inducted in 2023.^[109]

Inducted	Name	Position	Tenure
1966	Pappy Waldorf	Coach	1929–1933
1972	Bob Fenimore	Halfback	1943–1946
2003	Barry Sanders	Running back	1986–1988
2008	Thurman Thomas	Running back	1984–1987
2012	Jimmy Johnson	Coach	1979–1983
2020	Leslie O'Neal	Defensive end	1982–1985
2022	Terry Miller	Running back	1974–1977
2023	Justin Blackmon	Wide receiver	2008–2011
Source:[109]

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As of November 29, 2023.

Announced schedules as of March 31, 2024.^[116]

2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035
UT Martin	at Tulsa	Western Illinois	Southeastern Louisiana	at Alabama	at Tulsa	Tulsa	Arkansas	at Arkansas	at Nebraska	Nebraska
at Oregon	Oregon	at Arkansas	at Tulsa	Tulsa
Tulsa	Murray State	Tulsa	Alabama

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